How To Crush Self-Doubt: A Doctor’s Guide To Fearless Living

How often have you talked yourself out of doing something you want to do?

How many times have you said, “I’m not ready,” or “I don’t have time”?

If, like most of us, the answer is many, you’re likely letting self-doubt and fear run your life.

Self-doubt is very sneaky. It masks itself as a legitimate reason to stay in our comfort zone, so it’s not uncommon to be a victim of self-doubt without realizing it.

As someone who has battled fear and self-doubt for many years, I’ve learned a lot about them, including some effective tactics and techniques for overcoming them.

In this week’s article and YouTube video, I’m sharing five of these techniques with you.

So, if you want to learn how to push through fear and master your mind, read on!

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1. Recognize self-doubt for what it is

As mentioned, self-doubt is super subtle and sneaky. So, you need to understand how it shows up to determine if it is happening to you.

Self-doubt often disguises itself as excuses or ‘reasons’ that seem legitimate, such as:

• ‘I don’t have enough time’ 
• ‘I’m not ready’ 
• ‘I need more experience before I can do that.’ 

Essentially, it is all the excuses we tell ourselves to let ourselves off the hook and avoid doing something that seems scary or difficult. 

These thoughts may seem like facts, but the truth is that they often mask a deeper fear of failure or inadequacy.

So, the work here is to catch yourself when you’re having these thoughts and see past them. 

When you can do this, you will uncover the fear hiding beneath and, in turn, take back control.

To do this, pay attention to your internal dialogue. 

Are you frequently finding reasons why you can’t pursue your goals? 

Are these reasons based on factual limitations or are they actually being driven by fear? 

Are you constantly procrastinating? (Procrastination can be a protective mechanism that allows you to avoid the risk of failure by never starting in the first place)

Write down all your reasons for not pursuing a goal. Then, challenge each one by asking yourself, ‘Is this really true? What evidence do I have to support this?’ 

Most of the time, you’ll find these things are not really legit barriers.

2. Feel the fear and do it anyway

Next, it’s essential to realize that fear and self-doubt are natural responses to stepping out of your comfort zone. 

Our brains are wired to seek comfort, so the desire to play safe is normal and natural.

However, what most of us do wrong is wait for these feelings to disappear.

We are afraid to take the risk, so we tell ourselves we’ll do it next week or next month instead, hoping the fear will have gone by then.

But the truth is fear doesn’t just disappear and we cannot eliminate it. The only way to deal with it is to feel the fear and do it anyway.

Now, I know this sounds scary, but there are techniques you can do to make it less so.

One of these is the 5-Second Rule created by Mel Robbins. Here’s how you do it…

Whenever you get an idea or feel the urge to act on a goal, immediately countdown ‘5-4-3-2-1’ and then take action. 

The countdown interrupts your habitual thinking patterns, preventing your mind from giving you excuses. Thus, this action shifts your focus away from fear and allows you to take action before your mind can talk you out of it.

3. Cultivate self-trust

The more we trust ourselves, the more willing we are to face challenges and take risks. 

Here’s why…

In her book “Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway,” Susan Jeffers talks about three levels of fear. 

The third and deepest level is the fear that “I can’t handle it.”

This belief of “I can’t handle it” is rooted in a lack of self-trust. It’s about not believing you can handle the repercussions of failure. 

Moreover, all other fears stem from this core fear. Whether it’s fear of failure, rejection, or uncertainty, the underlying belief is that you won’t be able to cope with the outcome.

But what if you believed that no matter what happens, you WILL be able to handle it? 

For example, let’s say the outcome you’re afraid of is getting fired. 

Of course, it’s not great if that happens, but you can handle it if it does. You can look for another job and do whatever it takes to get back on your feet.

Think about it—most of the time, the things we’re afraid of happening don’t actually happen, yet our fear of them prevents us from even trying. 

But if we can develop the belief that even if the worst-case scenario does happen, we’ll be able to handle it, then it won’t stop us.

To help cultivate this belief, I repeat the mantra “I’ll handle it.” or “I’ve got this” whenever I feel the fear arising. 

4. Embrace failure

Another way to reclaim control and overcome self-doubt is to change your perspective of failure.

Most of us view failure as a terrible thing, the end of the world. So, we avoid it at all costs and, as a result, avoid doing anything that might cause us to fail.

However, if you look into the stories of the world’s most successful people, you will realize that failure is a natural part of the learning process. 

Here’s an example:

Thomas Edison viewed his many unsuccessful attempts at creating the lightbulb as just necessary steps toward success. Each failure provided valuable lessons that brought him closer and closer to his goal. 

Adopting this mindset can help us reframe our own failures as just opportunities for learning and improvement.

As Arianna Huffington said, “Failure is not the opposite of success; it’s part of success.”

5. Practice self-compassion

Beating ourselves up about our fears and doubts only makes them worse.

So, instead, we should practice self-compassion, which, according to Brene Brown, involves self-kindness, recognizing our common humanity, and mindfulness.

Self-kindness means choosing to be gentle with yourself rather than overly critical. When you make a mistake, speak to yourself the same way you would to a loved one.

Recognizing our common humanity helps us understand that everyone experiences setbacks and doubts. There is nothing wrong with you; you’re not a terrible person because you failed at something.

Lastly, mindfulness means becoming aware of our thoughts and feelings without getting attached to them. This can significantly help to prevent self-doubt spiral out of control. 

Instead of giving energy to the fear, practice acknowledging it and gently redirecting your focus to something else, such as a positive thought.

Final Thoughts

Remember, everyone struggles with self-doubt at times, even the most confident and self-assured people.

But rather than trying to stop it from happening, using techniques like the five I described above can help you overcome fear whenever it arises.

Watch the full YouTube episode for an in-depth explanation of these techniques and more.

Finally, I’d love to hear about your experiences with self-doubt. Which one of these strategies are you going to try first? 

Let me know in the comments!

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